Browsed byAuthor: Happi Devil

Happi Devil is not evil...
Happi Devil is not mean...
Happi Devil does not want to steal your soul
and torment it with eternal hellfire...
Happi Devil just wants to be your friend...
And maybe get a beer...
They're not mutually exclusive....

Now I’m not going to pretend to be a music blogger, but there are some things that just warrant more than a simple post and share on the FaceSpace [but please, by all means, post and share this…].

Lush is definitely one of my favorite bands, and I still listen to them fairly regularly, but its been a while since I’ve listened to their album “Spooky” on headphones. Sometimes moments align and you are struck and simply cannot do anything more than occupy the space that exists between the two speakers in your ears.

“Nothing Natural” has always been damn near a perfect song to me. The bass line starts with a determined stride, encircled with the swirling jangle of the guitar that becomes becomes a wailing wash of reverby joy. Down to Emma Anderson’s beautifully dream like lyrics sung with a wistful longing by Miki Berenyi:

The seasons shining in your hair
And it was more than I could bare
But I can see you in my smile
And you are only beautiful

I’m not going to wax poetic with a ten paragraph essay on every measure of the song. I’ll just say, do yourself a favor, pop in your headphones and lose yourself for 5 minutes and 54 seconds.

*Phew* I finally completed a new cross stitch pattern! This one is taken from one of my “One Hour Project” designs I did back in February. Inspired by Twin Peaks, this “Damn Fine” cup of coffee is straight out of the Double R Diner, with a Red Room chevron accent to remind you that the Owls are not what they seem…

If you are feeling crafty, KITS are available in the Happi Shoppe so that you can make your own “Damn Fine” cross stitch [it includes everything you’ll need! How thoughtful, right?!].

The Man From Another Place is not included… but if you want to make your own, you can download the template for FREE [eff aar double eee!] here: MFAP Template [all you need is one sheet of card-stock or photo paper, regular paper is too thin, and a printer].

Earlier this month, I decided that I would play a little more with digital art in the way that I used to when I was first learning how to use Photoshop and Illustrator. Taking images and playing with text purely for fun. I wanted to tap into something that was pure, rough, and not over thought. So limited myself to one hour per piece. Right now, I’m just doing them as I fancy it, but maybe in the future I’ll instill a “at least one a week” rule. Anywho… here is a collection of the pieces I put together in February:

The last one was specifically for Twin Peaks Day [February 24th was when Laura Palmer was found… dead… wrapped in plastic… thus beginning David Lynch’s tale of small town life with deep horrible secrets… not to be confused with Blue Velvet]. And I may have cheated a little on that one, taking more than an hour if you tally up all the time, but to quote Cartman, “Whateva, whateva, I can do what I want.”

When I was in eighth grade, on a lark I took a sewing class as an elective [yes, I just said “on a lark,” I’m totally bringing it back]. It was something that I really enjoyed and had fun doing. One of the first techniques we learned was how to cross stitch.

Fast forward, for some unknown reason, the desire to do a little cross stitching popped into my head last month. I wanted to do something a little more tongue in cheek kitsch and less “grandma’s kitchen.” Naturally, I turned my attention to the kitsch-tacular Coven season of American Horror Story. If anyone stole the season, it was Frances Conroy’s Myrtle Snow. Her character’s motives were confusing through out the season. Often times, leaving me wondering if she was a good witch or a wicked witch. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but what I can say is Myrtle was definitely the most quotable character that season.

So I took her inspirational quote “Don’t be a hater, dear” and applied it to my mad cross stitch skills. Initially, I had designed a full character, but realized that I had purchased the wrong fabric count for the initial design:

Had I not cut the fabric already for a 4×6 frame, I could have continued with the piece and just finished it in a larger frame. Sadly, I had to regroup and work with what I had. So I did a quick remix of the design and adapted it accordingly.

I am actually much more pleased with the simpler version [for the 4×6 frame], so everything happens for a reason, right? The first one has already been claimed, but I will be starting on a second one post haste, so if you are interested, dear reader, place your order now at: The Happi Shoppe. I do still plan on doing the full figure as some sort of deluxe version, so stay tuned. And if you are interested in purchasing a “kit” [pattern, thread, etc] to take on the project yourself, just send me an email: happidevil at yahoo.com…

Just a quick reminder that the WE SHOW Opening Reception in on December 17th [next Wednesday!] at 6:30. I will have a couple of pieces on display for their inaugural show. If you are in Long Beach, please come on by and check it out. The event is free [obviously] but RSVPs are encouraged at EventBrite.com. The Arts Council for Long Beach is sponsoring the show, so that’s pretty fun!

Here are the details:

The WE Show has its Artists!

Opening Reception: December 17th, 6:30PM to 9PM.

With so many tremendous submissions for our inaugural WE Show, we had a very difficult time narrowing the field and making final selections. In the spirit of collaboration that we utilize every day, we decided to open with a show representing a wide variety of artists emblematic of Long Beach’s art scene. Together, the incredibly diverse artists represented in this first round are truly a cross section of the contemporary art community, highlighting the artistic renaissance we are lucky to be living through together here in Long Beach. Enjoy!

Congratulations to the artists below, selected for our first ever WE Show:

*Please note: Arts Council for Long Beach is a sponsor of this event, but did not participate in the artist selection process. The curatorial team was put together by WE Labs. Although free, this is an invitation only/ticketed event and space is limited. Bar and appetizers provided.